The Comparative Religions Of Islam And Christianity Religion Essay

The word redemption can be defined from many positions. From a spiritual point of position, redemption is the act of delivering from wickedness and its ageless effects by a godly power. The Godhead power being God, who through Godhead Providence rescues his creative activity from decease and gives ageless life. In this essay I compare the manner of redemption from the position of Islam and Christianity. Harmonizing to Christianity, redemption is the rescue by the grace of God, from ageless penalty of wickedness for which is granted to those who accept by faith Godi??s conditions of penitence and religion in the Lord Jesus Christ. The cardinal subject of the Christian message is that the human state of affairs has in some manner been transformed by the decease and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through the belief in the decease and Resurrection of Jesus Christ a individual can be saved.

Redemption is the act of presenting from wickedness. The cardinal sense of i??sini?? is something that separates humanity from God. Salvation is the interrupting down of the barrier of separation between humanity and God on history of Christ. Sin is therefore seen as the antithesis of redemption ( McGrath 96-97 ) .

Islam and Christianity differ in their thoughts on how to be saved. The key to understanding Islam is seen in the thought of the balance graduated table of opinion. Muslims believe that they have to compensate their bad workss with good 1s as opposed to Christians who believe that they should seek to populate sinless like Jesus because all wickedness is displeasing to God whether or non they are balanced by good workss. The Bible says:

If we confess our wickednesss, he is faithful and merely to forgive us our wickednesss and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ( Holy Bible1 John 1:9 )

Then, he whose balance ( of good workss ) will be ( found ) heavy, will be in a life of good pleasance and satisfaction. But he whose balance ( of good workss ) will be ( found ) visible radiation, – Will hold his place in a ( bottomless ) cavity. ( Holy Quri??an 101: 6-9 )

If the graduated table tips in favor of good plants, the Muslim will make heaven but if this is non the instance, he will be banished to hell everlastingly. Rathel in his article says that Christianity ascribes redemption to the grace of God instead than the actions of human existences ( Redemption: Scales or Grace ) . Jesus serves as an mediator between God and adult male by giving Himself as a ransom for humanity.

For there is one God, and one go-between between God and work forces, the adult male Christ Jesus ; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due clip ( Holy Bible 1 Timothy 2:5-6 ) .

Islam and Christianity diverge on their apprehension of wickedness. Christianity teaches that adult male is born in wickedness and that wickedness is a portion of life. None is born without the grade of wickedness upon his psyche, i??all have sinned.i?? ( Romans 3:10 ) . But the saviour Jesus Christ died for the wickednesss of adult male to convey them back to God.

Christian divinity and evangelism Centres on the i??good newsi?? that Christi??s decease and Resurrection opened up the manner for redemption. i??Nicholas Cabasilas argued that Christi??s decease took topographic point in such a manner that he was able to cover with each of the three afflictions of iniquitous humanity-namely its transient and finite human nature, its iniquitous character and its ultimate destiny of decease. In each of these facets, Cabasilas argued that Christ entered into the human state of affairs and transformed it. By going incarnate, He transformed human nature, by deceasing on the cross, he defeated wickedness, through His Resurrection, and Christ defeated the power of decease. By making all these things, Christ abolished the obstructions in the manner of humanity returning to Godi?? ( qtd. in McGrath 97 ) .

i??For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the decease of His Son, much more, holding been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.i?? ( Romans 5: 10 ) .

Islam rejects the philosophy of original wickedness. Muhammad said, i??Every homo being is born in a province of pure nature, but through the influence of his parents, he may go non-Muslim.i?? Islam does non accept the Christian philosophy that a iniquitous nature characterises humanity but it accepts the catholicity of wickedness but provides no account for this. In Islam wickedness is seen as forgetfulness to walk in the way of the Lord, so it does non pervert human nature.

If Allah were to penalize work forces for their wrong-doing, he would non go forth on the ( Earth ) , a individual life animal… .i?? ( Holy Quri??an 16:61 ) .

Although some of its characteristics closely resemble that of other faiths, Christianity is non a faith. It differs in the thought that people can set up and keep a relationship with God. In Islam, one does non cognize God because He is unknowable ; the Muslim follows the regulations and ordinances that make up the faith. Redemption is mentioned several times but non as a gift for devout Muslims but as a wages for those who submit and obey the will of Allah.

Moslems believe that redemption comes merely through Allah. Merely those who obey Allah and Muhammad, His prophesier can come in into Eden.

And if any believe non in Allah and His Messenger, we have prepared, for those who reject Allah, a Blazing Fire! ( Holy Quri??an 48:13 ) .

Christians believe that because the consequence of original wickedness was so tremendous, adult male became incapable of returning to God by himself, he needed a i??saviouri?? to convey him back to God. And because God loved the universe, He sent His Son Jesus to take adult male back to Him.

i??For God so loved the universe, that he gave his lone begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should non die, but have everlasting life ( Holy Bible John 3:16 ) .

By directing His boy, God promised redemption to those who believed in Him. i??To accomplish this undertaking, Jesus came into the universe, suffered, shed His blood and died on the cross. Hence Jesus is called Saviouri?? ( Omoregbe 29 ) . The rubric of i??Saviouri?? is non given to Allah in Islam but in the Bible, Jesus is seen as the Saviour, and without traveling through Him there is no redemption. In footings of Jesusi?? map, the rubric i??saviouri?? affirms that He is able to convey the redemption that God promised to his people ( McGrath, Christian Theology: An debut 280 ) . In Islam there is no demand for a Jesus because every person can work out his or her ain redemption.

Jesus said to him, i??I am the manner, the truth and the life. No 1 comes to the Father except through Me. ( Holy Bible John 14:6 ) .

The Christian apprehension of redemption is specifically linked with the decease and Resurrection of Jesus Christ ( McGrath 99 ) . Christians believe that Jesus Christ is a theoretical account for the ransomed life. McGrath recognizes two ways in which Christian life is i??shapedi?? by Jesus Christ. i??The Christian life takes the signifier of the believeri??s sustained effort to copy Christ.i?? i??The Christian life is a procedure of i??being conformed to Christi?? in which the outward facets of the believeri??s life are brought into line with the inward relationship to Christ, established through faithi?? ( McGrath 99-100 ) .

Islam denies the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus ne’er died:

That they rejected religion ; that they uttered against Mary a grave false charge ; That they said ( in self-praise ) , i??We killed Jesus Christ the boy of Mary, the Messenger of Allah ; i??-but they killed him non, nor crucified him. Merely a similitude of him was shown… ..Nay Allah raised him up to Himself ; and Allah is exalted in Power, Wise… … ( Quri??an 4:156-158n )

The Quri??an Teachs that the lone thing vouching no redemption is disbelief in the one God and tie ining others with God. They accept the being of Jesus but acknowledge him as one of the Prophetss sent by Allah. Belief that He is the boy of God is a wickedness and guarantees no redemption. Any Muslim who believes in the one God must state this:

He is Allah the One ; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute ; He begetteth non, nor is He begotten ; And there is none like unto Him. ( Quri??an 112:1-4 ) .

Islam Teachs that redemption must be earned through belief in the i??five pillars of pattern, i?? belief in the i??articles of religion, i?? decease in a jehad, pilgrim’s journey to Mecca and on the twenty-four hours of opinion, good workss must outweigh the bad. But belief in all these does non needfully vouch an entryway into Eden for the Muslim.

i??Of all the ceremonial responsibilities incumbent on the Muslim, Salah or the ritual supplication is an indispensable duty of Muslim worship and the supreme act of righteousness.i?? ( Farah135-136 ) . Prayer is the cardinal act of righteousness in Islam, the really kernel of the life of a Muslim. Prayer in Islam is non the same as supplication in Christianity ; there is a really important difference here.

Christians believe that through supplication they can come in into a i??conversation with God from the bosom, i?? or i??come into the presence of God.i?? agring with about any other day-to-day activity. ( Grieve 100 ) . In contrast a Muslim prays merely by manner of executing certain prescribed physical Acts of the Apostless and spoken words for his supplication to be i??accepted.i?? The act of supplication is non left to the urges of the truster, it is a ritual performed harmonizing to a prescribed form.

Another difference between Christianity and Islam is made clear here in the country of supplication. Where a Christiansi?? supplication is basically personal from the beginning, the consideration of oneself in Islam can merely get down after the outward expression has been followed and an acceptable supplication has been accomplished.

Christian redemption is grounded in the life, decease and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Irenaeus developed the thought of i??recapitulation.i?? This is the repeat of all historical events. He says that Christ i??recapitulatesi?? the history of Adam, wining where Adam failed, and thereby undoing the autumn of humanity ( McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction 328 ) . St. Paul says, i??As wickedness came into the universe through one adult male ( Adam ) , so did grace come into the universe through Jesus Christi?? ( qtd. in Omoregbe 29 ) .

i??For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.i?? ( 1 Corinthians 15:22 ) .

In Islam there is by and large no confidence or certainty of redemption even if a Muslim does all that is required of him or her. In Hadith al-Bukhari, Muhammad said, i??By Allah, though I am the apostle of Allah, yet I do non cognize what Allah will make to mei?? ( Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Book 58: Merits of the assistants in Madinah [ Ansaar ] ) .

i??In contrast, Christianity proclaims that a truster may hold confidence of ageless life.i?? ( Redemption: Scales or Grace ) .

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God ; that ye may cognize that ye have ageless life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God ( Holy Bible 1 John 5:13 ) .

i??Christians experience confidence because redemption is an act of God and non by the action of an individuali?? ( Redemption: Scales or Grace ) . By deceasing for evildoers, Jesus made Grace available to adult male. This grace has made up for the harm caused by wickedness.

For by grace are ye saved through religion ; and that non by yourselves: it is the gift of God. ( Ephesians 2:8 ) .

In Islam, decease in a Jihad is a warrant of Eden. Jihad means i??the exerting of onei??s power in driving the enemy or in postulating with an object of disapprobationi?? ( Ali 205 ) . The Holy Quri??an speaks of a jehad to achieve to Allah, i??And those who strive hard for Us, we will surely steer them in Our waysi?? ( qtd in A Manual of Hadith Pg 205 29:69 ) . It so speaks of a jehad against disbelievers by agencies of the Holy Quri??an, i??Strive hard against them a mighty endeavoring with it ( the Quri??an ) i?? ( qtd in A Manual of Hadith Pg 205 25:52 ) . Throughout history, Muslim extremists such as the Kharijite and Egypti??s Jihad Organisation ( which assassinated Answar Sadat ) have ignored the fact that jehad is non supposed to include aggressive warfare and should merely be fought pacifically and as a agency of change overing people to Islam utilizing the Quri??an ( Esposito 93 ) .

Jihad is a Muslimi??s foremost responsibility. A promise is given that if Muslims exerted themselves to their uttermost to continue the cause of Islam, they would be in the ascendent ( qtd in a Manual Of Hadith Pg 206, hh 3, 4 ) .

Christians are assured of redemption and ageless life because Christ gave His life as a ransom for their wickednesss, He hence paid the monetary value for their wickednesss and by the grace of God they are saved. Moslems who believe in God and make what is right can gain redemption.

i??Those who believe ( in the Quri??an ) , and those who follow the Jewish ( Bibles ) , and the Christians and the Sabians, – any who believe in Allah and the Last Day and work righteousness, shall hold their wages with their Lord, on them shall be no fright, nor shall they grievei?? ( Holy Quri??an 2:62 ) .

In decision, the chief difference between Islamic and Christian redemption is: Christian redemption is by the grace of God and non by the plants of adult male while Islamic redemption is by the plants of each Muslim.